2012

So Much For Huntsman 2.0: The 'Crazy' Candidate Swings Right

Benjy Sarlin | September 2, 2011, 6:25AM

Jon Huntsman

Billing himself as the candidate of the "real world" and highlighting his breaks from party orthodoxy, Jon Huntsman has tried to brand himself as a pragmatic truth-teller in a GOP that has swung too far towards the hardline right.

But his rhetoric and policy hasn't always matched up with the broader message in recent days. The tension is most evident in his grand jobs plan, the centerpiece of which is a proposal to slash taxes for the wealthy while eliminating a plethora of popular breaks for homeowners and middle class Americans. Huntsman sells the move on its purity -- tax expenditures for corporations and average Americans alike would be dropped to lower rates -- but realistically, the plan has virtually no chance of passing Congressional muster. The Bowles-Simpson deficit commission, hardly a darling of the left, acknowledged as much in their report last year, suggesting lawmakers keep some of the most popular breaks -- like the mortgage interest deductions, exemptions for employer-provided health care, and the earned income tax credit -- in order to generate sufficient support for tax reform along the lines Huntsman proposes.

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2012

Jon Huntsman Fires New Hampshire Campaign Manager

Benjy Sarlin | September 1, 2011, 1:41PM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman is shaking up his staff in New Hampshire, dropping his campaign manager for the state, Ethan Elion, and replacing him with a former aide to Tim Pawlenty.

"Sarah Crawford Stewart, a seasoned New Hampshire strategist, will be taking over many of the day-to-day responsibilities in her role as New Hampshire senior adviser," a spokesman told the New Hampshire Union Leader. The campaign is very pleased with the leadership team we have in place in New Hampshire."

Stewart was Pawlenty's state director and also worked on John McCain's successful 2000 and 2008 primary campaigns.

It's a bit of a stretch to call any state a "must-win" for Huntsman given that he's barely registering in national polling at the moment, sharing the bottom-tier with candidates like Thad McCotter and Gary Johnson. But as a far as Huntsman has a path to the nomination, it runs through New Hampshire, where he's hoping he can appeal to independent and moderate voters to jumpstart his campaign.

Jon Huntsman

Huntsman Debuts Jobs Plan: Tax Breaks For The Rich

Benjy Sarlin | August 31, 2011, 4:48PM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman is looking to reboot his flagging campaign with a new jobs plan, offering up a list of ideas to spur growth in a speech on Wednesday. But despite his recent breaks with party orthodoxy on issues like climate change, he stuck to the usual conservative line on revenue, putting tax breaks for the rich and corporations at the center of his proposal.

"I'm not running for president to promise solutions, I'm running to deliver solutions," he said, according to prepared remarks. "Some of my entitlement reforms come directly from the Paul Ryan Plan. Other solutions come from the Simpson-Bowles Commission - a bipartisan group that last year put forth some very sensible tax reforms."

Under Huntsman's proposal, the tax code would be simplified into three brackets of 8%, 14%, and 23%. In addition, the corporate tax rate would be lowered to 25%, and taxes on capital gains and dividends would be eliminated entirely.

Overall, however, the whole shift would be revenue neutral. How?

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Jon Huntsman

"Centrist" Jon Huntsman Isn't Really All That Moderate After All

Evan McMorris-Santoro & Kyle Leighton | August 26, 2011, 6:23AM

Jon Huntsman

Much ink, digital and otherwise, has been spilled in the past week over former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's emergence as the militant moderate in the Republican presidential contest. As focus has shifted away from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and toward Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Huntsman has emerged as the Democrats' favorite Republican -- taking stands in favor of evolution and expressing his belief in climate change.

Before that, he was known as the guy who supported civil unions, an equally foreign position to much of the 2012 field. Huntsman's viewed as such a moderate that the first ads run on his behalf of the cycle are being paid for by a Democrat.

But in reality, Huntsman's only a moderate when compared to the rest of the modern GOP.

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman: Shared Sacrifice Is A Noble Idea, But Taxes Are Off The Table

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 25, 2011, 3:18PM

Jon Huntsman

Did Jon Huntsman just drop his latest "I'm surprisingly moderate" bomb on the political landscape? Not really. But he did espouse the virtue of the wealthiest paying their fair share to fix the budget problems in America -- but not through higher taxes.

In an interview with PBS Newshour set to run this evening, Huntsman said that everyone, regardless of income, needs to pony up to fix the nation's debt problems. Newshour previews the interview with this headline: "Huntsman: I Wouldn't Hesitate to Call on Rich to Sacrifice." Seems like he's talking a different game than his colleagues in the nomination hunt when it comes to the economy. And he is -- he's often been more conservative than them on fiscal issues, not less.

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman Takes On The GOP Field, And President Obama's Leadership

Kyle Leighton | August 21, 2011, 11:20AM

Jon Huntsman

GOP Presidential nominee Jon Huntsman went after his opponents in the Republican primary on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour Sunday, continuing a trend of positioning himself as the more moderate candidate in the field: "This is a center right country. I am a center right candidate," he said.

In an interview with guest host Jake Tapper, Huntsman assailed his Republican counterparts with specific criticisms. For former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, the dig was on flip-flopping: "You know, if we were to talk about his inconsistencies and his -- the changes on various issues, we'd be here all afternoon."

For Tex. Gov. Rick Perry, it was his extreme political positioning, referring to Perry's comment that should Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke inject more cash into the economy's money supply, Perry would consider it "almost treasonous,": "I'm not sure that the average voter out there is going to hear that treasonous remark and say that sounds like a presidential candidate, that sounds like someone who is serious on the issues."

And when it came to Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) contention that she would get gas prices below $2 a gallon, Huntsman simply let go: "I just don't know what world that comment would come from. You know, we live in the real world."

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Jon Huntsman

Huntsman: "I Wouldn't Necessarily Trust Any Of My Opponents Right Now" On The Economy

Kyle Leighton | August 20, 2011, 12:21PM

Jon Huntsman

Updated: August 21, 2011, 10:30AM

Call him crazy, but former Utah Gov. and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is doubling down on his criticism of climate change skepticism as "not a winning formula" for the GOP in 2012, while calling out his opponents in the Republican presidential primary on their willingness to let the US default on its debt.

In an interview on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Jake Tapper asked Huntsman about his shots at Tex. Gov. Rick Perry's contention that evolution is "a theory that's out there," but not a sure thing, nor is the idea of climate change. Last week Huntsman tweeted his take, "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Santorum: I'll Take Up Huntsman's 'Offer' -- He's Crazy To Believe In Global Warming (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2011, 4:33PM

On Thursday, Jon Huntsman tweeted a jab at fellow GOP primary candidate Rick Perry with the declaration: "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy" -- a brave move for a Republican presidential candidate in the age of the Tea Party. In response, his fellow (and much more conservative) candidate Rick Santorum seems to be saying: Yup, you are crazy.

Santorum on Friday singled out Huntsman for accepting the scientific consensus on manmade activities being a significant contributor to global warming -- and did not talk at all about Huntsman's belief in evolution, despite his own long political history of questioning evolutionary science and advocating for the teaching of the "intelligent design" movement of creationism.

"Yeah well, I'll be the first one to take him up on his offer," Santorum told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell. "You know, look, I've been very, very clear that the science just simply doesn't back up the issue of global warming.

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2012

Is He Even Trying? Huntsman Seems Determined To Alienate the GOP Base

Thomas Lane | August 19, 2011, 12:24PM

Jon Huntsman

"Call me crazy," Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman tweeted Thursday. And from a strategic point of view, maybe he is.

The former Utah governor and Obama-appointed ambassador to China has appeared to take glee in poking the Republican base in recent days. Try to convince the base that his appointment by President Obama isn't a fatal handicap? Nah, just mock the base instead.

Huntsman's "Call me crazy" tweet was in response to two prominent blow-ups from Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Within the space of 28 hours he alleged that scientists were making up global warming for profit and had dismissed evolution as "a theory that's out there."

"To be clear," Huntsman tweeted. "I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Huntsman Dings Perry: 'Call Me Crazy' But I Believe In Evolution And Global Warming

Eric Kleefeld | August 18, 2011, 4:03PM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman is often regarded as too moderate a Republican to qualify for the GOP's presidential nomination -- he does, after all, support civil unions for gay couples, and served in the Obama administration as Ambassador to China. And his latest comments might not help fix that: Slamming Rick Perry's denial of global warming and non-answer on evolution.

Thursday afternoon, Huntsman tweeted:

To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.

Hmm. Huntsman is running for the Republican nomination for president, and just tweeted that comment. Maybe we can call him crazy.

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Rick Perry

Five Ways Rick Perry Changes The Primaries

Benjy Sarlin | August 16, 2011, 9:15AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

As we've seen from the brouhaha over Rick Perry's Bernanke-bashing, the Texas Governor has the potential to shake up the GOP primaries. Merely by stepping into the ring the "good looking rascal," as Bill Clinton called him, has changed the dynamic on a number of levels. Here are the top five.

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2012

Pawlenty's Top NH Aide Joins Huntsman

Benjy Sarlin | August 15, 2011, 4:48PM

Jon Huntsman

Tim Pawlenty's exit leaves behind a whole campaign's worth of free agents ready to be scooped up by the remaining candidates. And the process is already beginning: according to the New Hampshire Union Leader, Pawlenty's NH state director, Sarah Crawford Stewart, is joining up with Jon Huntsman.

"Governor Huntsman is committed to winning the New Hampshire primary, and I look forward to helping him and his team do just that," Stewart told the paper. "I viewed Gov. Huntsman as somebody with exceptional governing experience. And I viewed him as someone who would be the strongest competitor against President Obama in a general election."

Huntsman has yet to make much of an impact in the race despite his impressive credentials as a former governor of Utah and ambassador to China.

2012

GOP Fight Night: The Top Five Moments

Benjy Sarlin | August 11, 2011, 11:06PM

Remember that nice friendly New Hampshire debate from June when the GOP's fresh-faced field candidates, still basking in fluffy magazine profiles, joined hands to sing songs of President Obama's failed stimulus? That wasn't this debate.

Instead the candidates mixed it up early and often, even lashing out at the moderators. We compiled the pugilistic highlights, from Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann's snowball fight to Newt Gingrich's war on FOX News, into a video. Read on for the nitty gritty details after that.

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Debates

Iowa Showdown: Five Stories To Watch In Tonight's GOP Debate

Benjy Sarlin | August 11, 2011, 6:00AM

Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

You might say that 2012 really starts tonight. At 9pm Eastern time, the declared Republican presidential candidates take the stage at Iowa -- barely two days ahead of the Ames Straw Poll, which many consider the unofficial first round of the primary season.

Of course, this debate will also be interesting for who it doesn't have: Texas Governor Rick Perry. Today he made it official that he'll be declaring his candidacy on Saturday. His shadow is sure to loom large over tonight's proceedings.

TPM's livewire will keep you updated of the night's events as they happen. We'll also be posting blog posts, fuller articles, and video throughout the evening.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the debate itelf, here's TPM's advice on what to look for:

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2012

Huntsman's Big Endorsement: Jeb Bush Jr.

Benjy Sarlin | August 10, 2011, 9:17AM

Jeb Bush Jr.

Jon Huntsman is headed to Florida on Wednesday to accept an endorsement from Jeb Bush Jr. - son of the state's popular ex-governor Jeb Bush Sr. and a nephew of President George W. Bush.

Huntsman had teased the Florida visit as a "major announcement," sparking immediate speculation that Governor Bush, who has spoken highly of Huntsman in the past and is one of the party's most highly respected figures nationally, might declare his support. But the junior Bush is an established figure in the state as well and has helped lead efforts to bring Latino voters into the Republican fold.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

GOP 2012 Candidates Agree Obama Deserves The Blame For S&P Downgrade... But Disagree Over Why

Thomas Lane | August 6, 2011, 11:55AM

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

S&P's own explanation of their decision to downgrade the U.S credit rating spreads the blame around. Tellingly, It slams the GOP's intransigence over letting the Bush tax cuts expire. Overall, it paints a bleak picture of the whole political system.

However, for the GOP presidential candidates it's pretty clear where the blame really lies. You guessed it: with President Barack Obama.

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2012

DNC, Huntsman Condemn Shadowy $1 Million Pro-Romney Donation

Benjy Sarlin | August 5, 2011, 6:05PM

Mitt Romney Holds Campaign Event In Front Of Valley Plaza Mall in Los Angeles, July 20, 2011

A mysterious corporate donor to a Super PAC supporting Mitt Romney has already drawn the full attention of campaign finance watchdogs, who suspect the barely-existent firm, W Spann LLC, was created to conceal the origins of a giant $1 million contribution. Now Romney's political opponents are taking notice as well.

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Jon Huntsman

Huntsman 2.0's Latest Body Blow: Is Mitt Romney A Manchurian Candidate?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 5, 2011, 2:24PM

Jon Huntsman and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

Jon Huntsman's new groove is going on the attack. The one-time Mr. Nice Guy has been sticking it to Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney over health care, the debt ceiling, and that mysterious $1 million donation in the hopes of tearing down the Romney colossus.

On Friday, Team Huntsman floated a new line of attack: Romney may be too close to the Chinese for comfort.

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2012

Palin Rips Romney, Praises Bachmann On Debt Ceiling

Benjy Sarlin | August 3, 2011, 10:05AM

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

Flirting with a kingmaker role, Sarah Palin bashed Mitt Romney and praised Michele Bachmann in an interview with Sean Hannity on Tuesday night.

"Bless his heart, I have respect for Mitt Romney, but I do not have respect for what he has done through this debt increase debate," she said. "He waited until it was a done deal that we would increase the debt ceiling and more money would be spent, more money would be borrowed and spent on bigger government, and then he came out and made a statement that he didn't like the deal after all. You can't defer an issue and assume that the problem is then going to be avoided."

Her words echoed similar attacks from Romney rival Jon Huntsman as well as Democratic strategists like Priorities USA's Bill Burton. Like Huntsman, she praised Bachmann for taking an early position on the debt ceiling (she was a firm "no" on any increase from the start).

"She spoke out and she cast her vote according to her principles, she stood true," she said.

Palin has shown little indication she'll enter the race, though she said in the interview she hasn't made up her mind yet. But her direct attack on Romney suggests that she might play a significant role from the outside. It's unclear if she still has the same influence she used to, however, even with her famously loyal base of followers. A heavily promoted pro-Palin film, Undefeated, proved a box office disaster this month even as Palin lent it her personal seal of approval.

Jon Huntsman

Huntsman On Awkward Bachmann Quote: I Was Trying To Compliment Her

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 2, 2011, 2:48PM

Jon Huntsman

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he described Rep. Michele Bachmann's press coverage thusly:

"She makes for good copy--and good photography." The quote came in the middle of a massive feature about Huntsman and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney running in the latest issue of New York, and was part of a discussion about the media coverage Bachmann gets versus her potential to actually win the nomination.

On Fox News Tuesday, Huntsman said the quote was a compliment.

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman: The Media Covers Michele Bachmann Because She's Pretty

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 1, 2011, 3:11PM

Jon Huntsman and Michele Bachmann

Since she entered the presidential contest, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has leaped up the polls and, wowed audiences, and dominated a nationally televised debate. She's taken a strong stand on the central political issue of the day -- the debt ceiling -- drawn a frontrunner's press attention.

Or, as Jon Huntsman puts it, she gets coverage because she's pretty.

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Mitt Romney

Romney Breaks Debt Ceiling Silence: 'Cannot Support This Deal'

Benjy Sarlin | August 1, 2011, 10:45AM

GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney (MA)

After a week of attacks from left and right alike over his failure to take a position on the latest round of Republican debt ceiling proposals, Mitt Romney has made up his mind on the final deal: he's against it.

"As president, my plan would have produced a budget that was cut, capped and balanced - not one that opens the door to higher taxes and puts defense cuts on the table," he said in a statement. "President Obama's leadership failure has pushed the economy to the brink at the eleventh hour and 59th minute. While I appreciate the extraordinarily difficult situation President Obama's lack of leadership has placed Republican Members of Congress in, I personally cannot support this deal."

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2012 elections

Hunstman Gives Bachmann A Debt Ceiling Shoutout Really Aimed At Romney

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 29, 2011, 7:53PM

Jon Huntsman

Only two of the Republican candidates running for president actually played a direct role in the fight that has locked Washington in an endless cycle of procedural votes and late-night pizza runs for the past week. And in the end, each came down on a different side of the fence.

Other candidates are necessarily on the sidelines of the debt limit scrum. But Jon Huntsman's campaign got involved anyway, using Friday's House vote to score some political points.

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John Boehner

CIVIL WAR: GOP Coalition Splinters Into Open Conflict Over Debt Ceiling

Benjy Sarlin & Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 27, 2011, 6:00AM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Speaker Boehner

The Republican leadership's efforts to avert a debt ceiling crisis with a two-tiered set of cuts is turning into the most divisive wedge issue the party has confronted since President Obama took over in 2009.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) may have thought his face-saving plan, which he hoped to bring to the floor Wednesday, offered a path to victory. However, since treading upon it he's been beset from all sides. It's not just that the President is threatening to veto the bill, should it ever make it past the Senate; it's that Boehner's fellow conservatives are sniping at him with (not so) friendly fire. Now the vote he'd hoped to bring triumphantly to the floor Wednesday looks delayed until at least Thursday, and even then the outcome is uncertain.

That's because the GOP is teetering on the brink of a debt-based civil war. More traditional Republicans and big business types are desperate to avoid a recovery-crushing default. But their Tea Party colleagues are leading a rebellion of epic - perhaps even galactic - proportions. Cue the John Williams music and find out who stands where in this stand-off between the Establishment's storm-troopers and the Rebel Alliance.

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman Replaces His Campaign Manager

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 21, 2011, 1:21PM

Jon Huntsman

The latest signs of cracking at the well-coiffed Jon Huntsman presidential bid: The Washington Post reports campaign manager Susie Wiles is out, to be replaced by Matt David, the director of communications.

Wiles stepped into the lead role at the Huntsman campaign after working for Rick Scott, who self-funded his way into the Florida governor's mansion last year. David is a veteran of the John McCain and George W. Bush presidential campaigns, as well as a former staffer for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman-Bashing Site Taken Down, Redirects To Huntsman Campaign Homepage

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 12, 2011, 2:03PM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman has his name back, bringing to an end one of the more amusing chapters of the early presidential campaign.

Back in February, it was pointed out that Mike Link owned JonHuntsman.com, the domain the then-theoretical Huntsman campaign would most like to get its hands on as it rolled out Huntsman's too-cool-for-school web presence.

In April, the domain became home to a Huntsman-bashing site centered around letters of praise Huntsman sent President Obama when he was appointed Ambassador to China back in 2009. Now, after a mysterious sale, that site is gone seemingly for good.

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2012 elections

Is Jon Huntsman Already Over?

Eric Kleefeld | July 12, 2011, 5:55AM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman officially launched his presidential campaign three weeks ago, amid much media buzz. So where has he been since?

Huntsman appeared set to shake up the race throughout the first half of this year, when he resigned from his post as President Obama's Ambassador to China, with his sights apparently set on running against the same man who had crossed party lines to appoint him.

In the last three weeks, however, Huntsman's name has been little mentioned in the media, nor is he exactly shaking up the polls.

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Mitt Romney

Sen. Mike Lee, Ex-Huntsman Aide, Says Former Governor Is 'Unknown Quantity' In Utah

Benjy Sarlin | July 8, 2011, 1:05PM

Jon Huntsman

Utah's elected officials are rallying around Mitt Romney instead of former Governor Jon Huntsman because Huntsman is an "unknown quantity" even in his own state, according to Senator Mike Lee (R-UT).

Lee, who worked as Huntsman's chief counsel, told TPM that even he wasn't sure yet where his former boss stood on the big issues as a presidential contender.

"He's such a new entry that a lot of people -- including me -- have not yet had an opportunity to review his platform," he said. "He's something of an unknown quantity as a presidential candidate."

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Mitt Romney: Hey Huntsman, I'm Winning The Utah Primary

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 7, 2011, 5:45AM

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney's camp is out with a statement flagging dozens of prominent Utah Republicans who stand publicly with Romney. Though they don't say it out right, Team Romney's statement is a veiled attack on the man many still think could be his biggest rival once things really get going on the presidential campaign trail: Jon Huntsman.

Huntsman's firmly entrenched in nowheresville in current polling, but the former Utah governor's polish and perceived general election saleability still put him in the top ranks of presidential chatter. As the other Mormon in the race -- and the other candidate with strong Utah connections -- Romney's folks seem to think doing well in Utah shows they've got the upper hand on Huntsman.

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2012

Mitt Romney Pulls in $18.25 Million, Easily Leads GOP Field

Benjy Sarlin | July 6, 2011, 8:55AM

Mitt Romney

Easily moving to the front of the GOP pack, Mitt Romney raised $18.25 million over the last quarter for his presidential campaign.

While Romney, whose team now has $12.6 million cash left on hand, is in a strong position, the latest numbers were somewhat below expectations. At this point in 2007, Romney had collected $23 million despite being less established as a top tier candidate. But he's essentially competing against himself at this point: none of his rivals are expected to even crack the $10 million barrier.

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2012 elections

GOP Rep. Chaffetz Backs Romney -- And Is A Former Huntsman Chief Of Staff

Eric Kleefeld | July 5, 2011, 6:00PM

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has announced that he is supporting Mitt Romney for president. The twist to the story: Chaffetz previously served as chief of staff to Romney's fellow candidate Jon Huntsman.

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Tim Pawlenty

Ouch: Tim Pawlenty Raises Anemic $4.2 Million For Presidential Bid

Benjy Sarlin | July 1, 2011, 3:38PM

GOP Presidential Candidate Tim Pawlenty

Tim Pawlenty raised a disappointing $4.2 million in his first quarter as a presidential candidate, falling short of expectations and raising questions about his ability to compete with the better-funded Mitt Romney and buzzier Michele Bachmann.

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2012 elections

Six Months, Seven Fails: The Opening Round Of Campaign 2012 (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 1, 2011, 2:43PM

Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), Sarah Palin (R-AK), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Herman Cain (R-TN)

Running for president is hard. Candidates have to be focused, dedicated and possess an almost unfathomable amount of vanity. It also takes a healthy appetite for shoe leather -- you're gonna put your foot directly in your mouth, usually on national television, more than few times before all is said and done.

At the end of June, campaign 2012 is coming along nicely on that front. We've seen candidates (and potential candidates) choke up on a debate stage, claim Paul Revere rang bells, scream at reporters on camera, flip-flop mightily and even misspell their own names at their own kickoffs. If the first six months of the presidential campaign trail are any guide, it's going to be an exceptionally fun year.

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2012

July 4 Big-Time Campaign Day For 2012 Field

Benjy Sarlin | July 1, 2011, 12:39PM

GOP Presidential Candidates Debate, Jun 13, 2011

Fairs, rallies, parades! They're everywhere a candidate wants to be and July 4 is the mother lode for voter-friendly events. The top candidates are all keeping busy schedules for the holiday and their plans say plenty about their broader strategy.

In one case, two candidates will directly overlap. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are both participating in a parade in Amherst, New Hampshire to commemorate Independence Day. New Hampshire is the center of Romney's strength in the 2012 race and he enjoys heavy frontrunner status. Romney will also hit up a couple of other holiday events in the state, including another parade later in the day. For Huntsman, who is competing with many of the same moderate and establishment voters and donors, catching up on Romney in the polls there is crucial to scoring him some much-needed credibility.

Herman Cain will end his busy day in New Hampshire, throwing out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game, but he'll start off in Philadelphia for a Tea Party rally with former UN Ambassador John Bolton. Firing up the grassroots is crucial to Cain's candidacy and he needs to broaden his small donor base if he wants to make an impact in fundraising after a lackluster start.

Michele Bachmann's presidential hopes rest on a strong showing in Iowa, where she was born and launched her campaign (albeit with a few hiccups). Not surprisingly, she's digging in for the entire holiday weekend, hoping to capitalize on her momentum in the polls. She'll be hitting her share of parades and local celebrations across the state.

Intersecting with Bachmann will be Newt Gingrich, whose campaign has lost most of its top staff. The two are both participating in the Clear Lake Independence Day parade. Rick Santorum is also expected to campaign in Iowa that day, where he will need a strong performance to stay in the race.

One exception to the July 4 rush: Tim Pawlenty, who has not released a public schedule for the holiday.

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman Raises $4.1M When You Include The Donation He Gave Himself

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 1, 2011, 9:55AM

Jon Huntsman

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman promised not to use his considerable wealth to fund his presidential campaign. Shortly thereafter he told the Salt Lake Tribune he donated some cash to his campaign after all -- but only to "prime the pump."

Now his campaign is reporting he raised $4.1 million in the last fundraising quarter, including the unspecified sum Huntsman put in himself. Huntsman won't be making a formal FEC filing like the rest of the 2012 contenders will, because he entered the campaign so late.

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Environment

Tim Pawlenty Says Climate Change Not Man-Made

Benjy Sarlin | June 28, 2011, 3:49PM

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

Tim Pawlenty went full climate denier on Tuesday, embracing fringe claims that the vast international consensus on the issue is "bad science."

"So there is climate change, but the reality is the science of it indicates that most of it, if not all of it, is caused by natural causes," Pawlenty told FOX News. "And as to the potential human contribution to that, there's a great scientific dispute about that very issue."

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Afghanistan

Whatever Way You Go On Afghanistan, There's A Republican Prez Candidate For That

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 23, 2011, 12:54PM

In the hours after President Obama's Afghanistan draw-down speech (remember that?), Republican presidential candidates fired off responses that ranged from subtly supportive but unimpressed to totally opposed and really unimpressed.

Yes, GOP primary voter: No matter where you stand on the longest war in American history, there's a Republican running for president who speaks your language.

Read more »

2012 elections

Huntsman Skipping Iowa Caucus -- But Not Skipping Iowa Debate

Eric Kleefeld | June 23, 2011, 9:52AM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman has previously declared that he will skip the Iowa caucus, choosing not to compete in the key early contest due to his opposition to ethanol subsidies. But it turns out he will make at least one visit to the state -- for a nationally televised debate on Fox News in August.

The Des Moines Register reports:

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman will make his first Iowa stop when he flies in for the GOP debate here on Aug. 11.

A spokesman for Huntsman said this morning that the candidate will participate in the Republican Party of Iowa/Fox News/Washington Examiner debate in Ames two days before the straw poll there.

Jon Huntsman

Club For Growth: Jon Huntsman Is Pretty Lame

Benjy Sarlin | June 22, 2011, 12:08PM

Jon Huntsman

Having reviewed the sum total of Jon Huntsman's accomplishments and biography, indeed looked deep within the former Utah governor's very soul, Club For Growth announced its findings on Wednesday: "Meh."

The conservative anti-tax outfit dubbed Huntsman a "frustrating figure," whom they nevertheless credited with pursuing "pro-growth" policies in Utah. On the negative side, they took off major points for increasing state spending ("inexcusable"), backing TARP, and once supporting cap-and-trade legislation to combat climate change. They were especially concerned with the governor's belief that Americans deserve proper health care.

"We find Governor Huntsman's statement that 'health care is a right' to be simply flabbergasting," they wrote. "We're not sure what part of the United States Constitution Governor Huntsman was referring to when he made that statement, but he certainly needs to explain what he was thinking."

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Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman Plays Off 'Remarkable' Comments By Making Them About Him

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 22, 2011, 9:47AM

Jon Huntsman

Jon Hunstman has a remarkable problem. That is, he once called President Obama "a remarkable leader" in a laudatory letter he wrote to the White House shortly after being appointed ambassador to China.

Now, as he runs for President, Hunstman's come up with his strategy for getting out of what he said about Obama: Huntsman was really just talking about himself.

Watch Huntsman on Hannity:

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